The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-23
Story's Vision and His Statue.

Roman Letter TO the Kansas City Times
Story's last statue, "A Christ" is an
original and beautiful conception. The
dress is that of an Arab the cloth or
under garment rich and full, bound
round the waist with a soft sash ; and
the NEIL. and upper one. a mantle, which
was the seamless garment We read that
our Lord wore. On the head is the
kifiyeh, or scarf. bound around by a fillet
which forms a vistor-ike framing above
the brow the ends of this kefiyeh you
see under the shadow Of its folds this is
the napkin, as the English translation Of
the Bible calls it, which was taken off,
folded and laid beside our Lord in the
grave. This costume is most effective
for it has the rich deep folds of the
Oriental quadrangular mantle, and is
probably exactly like the dress our Saw
Tor wore,
The person is that Of young man.
tall, thin, but not emaciated. The right
hand is extended as If summoning you to
approach. The left hand rests gently on
the drapery of the breast. They are long,
slender, refined Oriental hands, modelled
with feeling and delicacy. The face is
singularly tender and noble handsome,
with fine brow and beautiful features.
The eyes have a wonderful outlook, spir-
itual, and as if they saw far beyond
mortal gaze. The expression of the face
ia united to that Of the outstretched,
pleading, earnest hands. The words
.'come unto me, We who are weary and
heavy laden, and We shall find rest"
seemed to be uttered by the lips. and vet
the intense sadness of the face is as if he
had little hop that humanity would
listen to the call.
sat sometime the other afternoon
looking ut this impressive statue. lave
Maria" sounded and the late afternoon
shadows gathered into the studio. The
half lights gave the figure of the young
Messiah q striking likeness to life. i
spoke, thinking aloud And so He may
have looked"
1T ought to look like Him, for I have
seen Him. said the sculptor, quietly.
started. and turned to know il i had
heard the words or had dreamed them =
EYES," repeated Story. calmly, light
ing q fresh cigarette; "yes, and l vii
tell you how it was. 1t happened when
l was young-about twenty. 1 was go
ing in the hourly as the coach was
called that ran in those days every hour
was before the time of the omnibus and
horse-car. OF course mean ! dreamed
I was in the coach. 1t was, as all
dreams are, at once strange and prosaice
Soon after l got outside the coach. and
we had started, suddenly becam.
aware that Christ was seated outside
with the driver, NV first impulse was
to touch Him; 80 leaned out and rested
my hand on His garments-when / felt
sure il was Christ. When the coach
reached the half way house at Cam
bridge port every one got out. and
Christ also. did not, but sat looking
upon Him as He walked to and fro.
There were ordinary common people
about, and the natural prosaic actions
Of such place going on! was aware
that no one but myself saw that strange
being in Oriental garments, moving
with stately steps backward and for
ward in front of the busy little crowd
which assemblies at . half way house
when a stage arrives, But that did not
seem strange to me. nor was surpriaed
at His dress, 50 unlike anything I had
ever looked on. for 1t that time I was
not familiar with the Arab costume;
simply thought, There u Christi" and
every sense in my body Was alive.
Then came the hustle Of starting and
then the whole dream ended the vision
disappeared. For ysas and years that
vision has haunted me, and over and
over again have tried 70 give form and
shaps 70 thAt lace and psrsA. which
saw - plainly - I - you nov"